Some women in Pennsylvania who work in technical careers may have followed the story of the Google employee who was fired for releasing a document saying that women inherently had less ability to work in tech. Several women who used to work for Google have since come forward to report facing discrimination at the company. They also say that they felt their long-term prospects for a career there were poor. Racism and ageism were issues along with sexism.
One black woman, who said she always felt as though she did not belong, reported being asked for identification frequently on the Google campuses when her white coworkers were not. She said her efforts to prioritize diversity were discouraged. An Asian woman cited as one instance of discrimination a man telling her she must have easily gotten her job because of Asians’ math abilities.
Google is 69 percent male and 56 percent white, and upper management is largely men. Women said the result of this was that they struggled to see themselves having the opportunity for similar advancement. One former employee said she was often the only woman in the room. Another pointed out that discrimination could often be far more subtle than racial slurs.
Sexual harassment is also a problem that many women may face at tech companies and other businesses. This may range from inappropriate comments or materials in the workplace to demands that a person exchange sex for a job or promotion to assault. People may worry that reporting sexual harassment could result in being terminated, but employers are not supposed to retaliate against employees in these circumstances. However, even companies with internal procedures for dealing with harassment may offer unsatisfactory solutions, and people who are sexually harassed in the workplace may want to talk to an attorney about options.
